Sparks
by Korrallaries
Summary: Asami wanted sea prunes. It didn't matter that she was currently one thousand miles from the nearest trading post for Water Tribe cuisine. It didn't matter that she was supposed to be restructuring a power grid. And it certainly didn't matter that it was currently the middle of the night. She wanted sea prunes, and by the spirits she wasn't going to rest until she got them.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This isn't an anti-Makorra fic. It's just some moments between Asami and Iroh and an exploration of the complex barrage of feelings that had to have been going through Asami's head during the finale. It's the first in a three-part series, each a separate one shot. As always comments and constructive criticism is welcome. Enjoy!**

* * *

"The gasoline actually combusts in this chamber? And that doesn't destroy the engine? How can you control it without any type of bending?"

Asami tapped her stick impatiently as the young General Iroh examined the rudimentary drawing of a satomobile etched into the dirt. Typical of firebenders to think they were the only ones who can control fire. Hot, wild, and unpredictable it may be, but like any of the other elements it could be tamed and put to good use.

"The engine is built in such a way that it contains the combustion. The push that the small explosion creates moves the piston, which then can translate into power."

Iroh's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What happens when the gasoline is gone? It can't be re-heated, my firebenders have to manually replace the oil in our cannons before reusing."

Asami pursed her lips together, trying to think of the easiest way to explain the pressure differential and vacuum effect to somebody who hadn't grown up around machines. "The exhaust that comes out of the pipe here," she tapped the back of the car with her stick, "is the leftover from the gasoline and fire reaction. The movement of the piston back here," she tapped on the crude schematic of an engine "pulls in more gasoline."

"Just by moving?"

She nodded. "Just by moving. It pulls more gasoline into the space it created, kind of like when you drink out of a straw."

The general stood up, rubbing his hands together. "It just seems so...needlessly complicated. On our ships we just use firebenders to power the engines and waterbenders to steer the ship."

Asami scowled. "Not everybody is a bender, general. We have to make do with what we have."

Iroh held up his hands. "I did not mean to offend, Miss Sato. I merely think our way is possibly more...efficient."

"By efficient you mean tying up manpower to execute simple tasks?" Asami tilted her head and widened her eyes for effect, trying to conceal the hidden barb.

The general, however, was not fooled. "It is not so simple as that. Our system may be more rudimentary, but it is also tough and more resilient to attacks and damage."

"And this system allows your firebenders and waterbenders to protect against those attacks so they do not land in the first place. That, I believe, is a much better solution."

"Do you really believe so?" His tone was incredulous, but not condescending.

"My father built his air fleet that way, and I believe they easily overpowered your battle ships."

Iroh's face darkened, and Asami immediately regretted the insult. "I'm sorry, General," she backpedaled. "That was too harsh, I know it only happened earlier today..."

He held up a hand and she bit her tongue, stemming the apology. She looked at him inquisitively, and he gave her a rueful smile.

"No. You are right, Miss Sato. We have underestimated the abilities of non benders and overestimated our own abilities for far too long." With that, he turned to walk away, leaving a stunned Asami in his wake.

She frowned, leaning back against a dirty wall in the underground compound and sliding down to the floor. General or no, it was rude for somebody to walk away in the middle of a conversation like that! Even if the conversation was a little...heated. She knew she should be embarrassed, but in truth she hadn't felt so free to express her opinion or talk to someone since her mother was still alive.

Regardless, he still shouldn't have walked away. Even after conceding that she was right.

Asami sighed, and pulled her feet closer to her body. She might as well go find everyone else-Korra, Bolin, and her boy..._ex _boyfriend. She made to get up when she heard the crunching of dirt and unmistakable sound of footsteps coming towards her.

General Iroh was back, and this time he sat down next to her unabashedly, crossing his legs and spreading a large map of Republic City and the surrounding areas out in front of them. He pointed to a spot to the left of the island.

"We had originally planned to organize to the west of Republic City and have reinforcements come in through here," he pointed to a channel on the map. "But your father's air fleet destroyed that plan. I need your expertise on what these machines can do to figure out what to do for a viable plan of attack once we get in contact with Bumi."

Asami grinned, and moved to sit next to the young general. _This _was something she knew she could do.

* * *

When Asami came to, she, Bolin, and Iroh were alone in a prison cell, unceremoniously tied together.

"I suppose you didn't know about that particular one of your father's inventions?" She didn't need to be able to see the general's face to know he was scowling.

Asami frowned. "He did manage to keep one or two pretty big things from me, I'll have you know."

"What _was _that anyway?" Iroh asked, flexing the ropes around him to try and rub his sore arms. "I've never felt so awful in my life!"

"It acted like an electric fence," Asami replied. "But it didn't have any wires between the fence posts. Somehow the electricity only transfers to you if you get close enough to the posts, I suppose we are the grounding agent."

"Are you saying that was electricity? I thought that was lightning being shot at me!"

"Why do you benders always think in terms of the elements?" She sighed. "Electricity is lightning, just in a tamed, useful form. It's energy."

"No good can possibly come of such a dangerous idea."

Asami bristled. "A lot of good can come of it! We have lights and heat because of it!"

"But to have something so dangerous in your home-"

"Are you saying firebenders shouldn't be allowed inside either? Because _they _can produce lightning too."

"Yes, but it's not the same-"

"Guys, guys!" Bolin exclaimed. "We're kind of...stuck together." He pulled against the bindings. "Can we at least try to get along?"

"Whatever," Asami sighed. "I'm going back to sleep."

* * *

When she found him dangling off the flag still strung from the statue of the previous Avatar, she was surprised that her first reaction was to laugh. She quickly pressed a gloved hand to her mouth, her fathers words running through her ears. "It's not nice to laugh at somebody to their face, Asami." He had winked then. "You have to come home and tell me about it first, and then we can laugh together!"

The memory of her father sobered her, but she found the feeling of desolation passed when General Iroh began to wiggle about and called down to her. "A little help here!"

The involuntary shaking of her shoulders gave way, and Asami burst out into laughter. Above her, she saw Iroh scowl. "It's not funny!" he yelled, to which she crossed her arms over her stomach and bent over, completely taken over by the laughter.

She couldn't help it. It had been the worst month of her life. First, the equalists destroyed the bending arena, then her father had turned on her, an equalist himself, and upended everything she thought she knew. Her relationship deteriorated from there, between her moodiness and snappishness and his googly eyes for her friend. And then this war had come to a head, with everything she loved put into danger.

And now it was over, Republic City was safe, and the general of the United Forces was dangling from a ripped Equalist flag like a spider monkey caught in a vine.

Bolin shook his head beside her, chuckling. "You are one crazy girl, Asami." He smiled, ever positive even in the wake of war. As he made to bend the earth up to meet the other boy, Asami stepped forward.

"Just one second, Bolin," she said, holding out an arm. "The general and I need to have some words."

Bolin raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't move forward as she walked up to stand under the flag.

"What do you think of my father's machines now, General?" She yelled up to the figure swaying above her. She fought down giggles when she heart a grunt and a reply.

"Miss Sato, you know that I think they are terribly deadly creations and I have nothing but respect for them. Now, if you please could assist me in getting down..."

Asami held up a hand, feeling a smirk take over her face. "Do you think that, perhaps, a method not based in bending would be a useful addition to the technology that powers your fleet?"

Iroh squirmed uncomfortably, which caused him to sway even more violently side to side. "I...I would have to think on that..."

"Even after your encounter with them today?"

A loud rip echoed through the air and he sank a bit further on the flag. "Alright! Alright! I believe a mix of nonbending and bending machinery and personnel would be a more deadly mix than focusing on benders only! Now will you please _let me down_?"

And so Asami laughed again as Bolin rushed forward to allow the general a reprieve and some solid ground. She laughed so hard that she had to sit down and rest her head on her knees, and although she knew she probably looked certifiably insane, she didn't care. And when she felt a hand on her shoulder and a certain deep voice chuckling with her, she forgot what she was laughing about in the first place.

* * *

Iroh was right, Asami thought, Bumi certainly was a bit of a wild man. _A bit, _she chuckled, that might be an understatement. But as the commander strode up to the younger general and clapped a hand on his shoulder, Asami felt a swelling of pride in her chest. After all, she was part of this effort too.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to find another set of amber eyes staring at her.

"You guys were amazing, Asami," Mako said, and she felt her cheeks tinge with pride. "I can't believe I ever asked you to stay behind in your father's mansion for your safety, you definitely can take care of yourself."

Asami smiled, but still felt a twinge of annoyance for the reminder that just about everyone always assumed she was just a pretty face. The worthwhile ones came around and apologized-Korra, Bolin, Mako-but the common misconception was always one she was going to have to battle. "Thanks Mako, you and Korra did really well too."

Mako's mouth twitched at the mention of the avatar, and his gaze flickered ever so slightly above Asami's shoulder, to where she knew Korra was standing. "We're going to the south pole to try and get Master Katara's help in healing her, but I'm not sure if it will work."

She frowned an put a consoling hand on his shoulder. The tingling sensation she used to feel upon any contact with him was absent, and Asami vaguely wondered when she had stopped feeling it. A long time ago, probably, she just hadn't noticed. "I'm sure it'll work." She tried to put on an optimistic smile. "Master Katara is the best healer in the world."

Mako only frowned, so she squeezed his shoulder and let go. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the general and Commander Bumi finish their conversation and start walking towards the group.

"Well, good luck on your trip," she said, to which Mako's eyes widened and rubbed the back of his neck, looking mildly uncomfortable. "What?"

"About that," he began. He put his hand down and coughed, starting again. "What I mean is, I hope you'll come with us to the South Pole."

"Why?"

"Because, well, I meant what I said. I am sorry about how messed up things got between us. I acted like a jerk, and I can't ask you to forgive me for that." Asami opened her mouth, not sure whether to protest or agree with him. But he held up a hand, "But, like it or not, you're part of this family now. I care about you, Bolin cares about you, and Korra cares about you. And I would be really sad if we all lost such an amazing friend because of something stupid I did."

Asami paused, letting his words sink in and focusing on her own reactions. She wasn't feeling the anger or sadness that had accompanied with their breakup-was it really just last night? Perhaps it was the war changing around everything, or perhaps they had never been so strong together as a couple. Probably both. But Mako as a friend was something she knew that she wanted.

"Of course I will, Mako. Korra's my friend too." Mako gave a tentative smile, and she grinned back. "I know I did some stupid things too, I know I turned you away some of those times you tried to help. Don't get me wrong, I still think you were more of the jerk-" He chuckled, embarrassed. "But these things happen. I can't expect you to deny your feelings, sometimes they just hit you. Blindside you, right out of the blue."

"Miss Sato, a word?" Asami jumped at the sound of General Iroh's voice off to her left.

Asami gave a quick nod to the general before turning back to Mako. She tilted her head towards the downtrodden Avatar, who still was leaning against Tenzin like a lifeline. "She's going to need you, Mako." She gave a confused looking Mako a quick smile and wave before walking down to the dock.

"Yes, General Iroh?"

"I couldn't help but overhear..." his hands wrung together, and he looked almost nervous, "that you are headed to the South Pole."

Asami nodded. "I am, I'm traveling there with the Avatar." At the look on Iroh's face she felt the need to add, "But I will be returning before too long, I'm still staying on Air Temple Island with Tenzin and Pema and their family."

Iroh's lips twisted into a smile, and Asami's stomach chose that moment to twist rather strangely. She frowned, trying to remember the last time she ate a good meal. The street gruel did not count.

"I was hoping, Miss Sato, that you would accompany me to tea upon your return."

Asami stared, incredulous. Was the General of the United Forces asking her...on a date? "Tea?"

He coughed. "A wise man once said that there is nothing better in this world than a good cup of tea and a good conversation. You, Miss Sato, never fail to impress me with your strength, your intelligence and knowledge of all of this-" He waved a hand about, trying to find the right word. "-technology. And, I would like to learn more about you."

Asami blushed at the compliment, and began thinking of kind ways to turn him down. She couldn't pull the 'I have plans' card that far in the future, but perhaps the war or her recent breakup would do? Maybe if she let him down nicely-

And then she realized what he had said. Or perhaps what he hadn't said. He wanted to have tea to talk to her. To learn more about her. Because he was impressed with _her_. Her intelligence, her strength. Not because she "was a good fighter for a girl" or "smarter than she looked." But because she was just herself. Asami.

She had met him under the worst of circumstances, quarreled with him about engines and machines and bending immediately after her breakup, snapped at him when they were captured and tied up by her father, and weaseled a concession out of him while he was trapped hanging from an equalist flag two stories in the air. She had shown him nothing but her worst side, her uncensored opinions. And he wanted to go out with her still.

"I think I would like that," she replied. "And please, call me Asami."

His smile was bright like a fire on a cold night, and she was sure it would keep her warm in the frozen Tundra.


	2. Chapter 2

Tea, it turns out, was a very serious venture. Iroh refused to tell her the name of their destination, and instead only provided her with the cross-street where she was to meet him.

Without a name, Asami couldn't really fret about her wardrobe or hair. After all, tea houses in Republic City ranged from open and sprawling stands—closer to a cafeteria than a restaurant—to luxurious and expensive establishments, like the ones her father used to go to.

Iroh's secrecy about the tea house, however, could also have been explained by the name.

"The Leaping Shirshu?" Asami felt her eye twitch, and had to fight to keep her expression neutral. The sign hanging above her proudly displayed said name, along with a reptilian looking creature contorted into a strange position. She supposed it must have been "leaping."

Iroh rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a sheepish look, which she couldn't help but find quite adorable. "It is an odd name, to be sure." He put his hand down and stood a little straighter, gaining a bit more of authority in his voice. "The first Great General Iroh opened this tea shop as his second business after the fall of Fire Lord Ozai. He chose to open shop in Republic City to help the Avatar and Fire Lord Zuko in their rebuilding and peace keeping efforts."

"But why the Leaping Shirshu?" Asami couldn't quite keep the giggle out of her voice this time around.

"I was told it was named after a striking young woman that the general was particularly fond of: a bounty hunter and one of the few people ever known to bond with a Shirshu. A headstrong and intelligent woman, as dangerous as she was beautiful." Iroh gained a mischievous glint in his eye. "Reminds me of someone else I know."

Asami blushed and looked away before he could see her smile. Though she was still unsure of the general's intentions beyond taking her to tea, it was nice to feel courted. Her last relationship she fell into easily, but it wasn't until later that she realized how little connection they had had beyond friendship.

In comparison, Iroh's compliments and his gentle hand on the small of her back made her feel giddy and light headed, like she was fourteen all over again, thrust into her first high society party.

Asami shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts. She didn't know what the general wanted with her, yet. Tea was tea, and for all she knew he wanted to discuss nothing more than the rebuilding of his fleet and the new effort to incorporate technology.

But while she was excited at the prospect to be able to talk strategy with somebody who would actually listen without getting impatient (as a certain blue-eyed friend of hers would often do), she couldn't help but want this meeting to mean something more.

"This General Iroh seems to be quite an accomplished man," Asami prodded. She knew a little of the first General Iroh, who wouldn't? The former grandmaster of the Order of the White Lotus and part of the small group who had retaken Ba Sing Se during the return of Sozin's Comet. But she enjoyed hearing her companion talk about him, especially the way his back would straighten and his eyes would shine with pride.

The younger Iroh nodded. "I can only hope to live up to my namesake. He was a powerful man, but also wise and honorable."

They took their seats in a secluded corner of the shop and Asami was momentarily distracted by the large menu of teas sitting in front of her. There were so many to choose from! Fruity teas to hearty Oolong teas to a spicier Chai to smoky Black teas, all with descriptions of their contents and origins. How a small shop could keep track of so many teas was mind boggling.

Asami snuck a glance around the shop, which was decorated in subtle reds and greens. Lanterns of a fire nation pattern were strung around the perimeter of the shop, giving off a low, flickering glow. Electric lamps with etched earth kingdom designs were mounted on the walls, giving off just enough light to read from. Since many of the more enthusiastic tea drinkers were from the Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation, the decor made sense.

"You know," Iroh said, peering over the top of his menu. "They say that what tea you prefer says a lot about a person."

"Do they now?" Asami wasn't sure if he was making this up or not, but was happy to play along. She enjoyed being able to tease the general, and every time he responded in kind she was less worried about acting properly and happier to just let her own words flow of her tongue. "And which tea do you prefer, my dear general?"

Iroh coughed and quickly duck his head behind his menu, but not before Asami could see the beginning of a blush. She raised her menu up to hide her smirk as she listened to his reply. "I have always been a fan of the ginseng tea at this particular establishment. They have a spicier variety that uses ginger and pepper that reminds me of the tea my grandfather would always drink at home."

Asami pictured the former fire lord and his grandson sharing a pot of tea in the luxuries of the fire nation and had to stifle a laugh. As the picture morphed to just Iroh, clad in an apron, making a pot of tea she blushed furiously.

"And what does that say about you?" she asked, trying to distract him from her burning cheeks.

"I don't know, I've never asked," Iroh replied. He leveled his gaze at her and she swallowed. His eyes were still a burning amber in the lamplight, and his expression, while relaxed, was very serious. "Perhaps you will be able to tell me."

This was not helping her blushing. Asami coughed and looked back down to her menu, trying to decide which tea to order. So far they all sounded delicious. She was narrowing down her choices by only considering ones with animals in the name when she saw a waiter come up to their table.

"Welcome to the Leaping Shirshu!" The waiter was young and enthusiastic, wearing a green apron with a reptilian figure embroidered on the edge. His smile stretched from ear to ear and Asami briefly wondered if he ever got stuck with such a grin on his face. "Which of our lovely teas can I get started for you today?"

"I'll have your Ginger Ginseng Tea, please," Iroh said, folding his menu down in front of him. His eyes flickered towards Asami and she quickly glanced down at her menu, eyes landing on the last tea she had been reading about.

"I'll have the Dancing Dragon Pearl Jasmine, please," she read off quickly, before handing her menu to the waiter.

"Excellent choice!" he crooned. "I will be right out with your teas." With that, he sped off, apron flapping behind him. Asami shook her head.

Iroh coughed. "The staff here takes their jobs very seriously." He gave her a grave look. "If they didn't, they wouldn't get any free tea."

She chuckled and held a well manicured hand up to her mouth, briefly noticing that she had forgot to paint her nails their normal shade of red. "That would be serious punishment, indeed."

He laughed, a soft, deep sound that she was suddenly sure she would never get tired of. "You will understand when you try their tea. The jasmine you ordered will be quite unlike anything you've had before."

"I've never had Jasmine tea before," Asami confessed, feeling a bit odd to say such things in a tea shop. "We were never big tea drinkers in my family, it would always feel strange to drink tea after working on different satomobiles all day. Especially when I was covered in oil." At Iroh's sharp look she felt the need to clarify. "From the cars. Machine oil and grease."

He coughed and let out a strained, "I see."

Asami closed her eyes and could only imagine what sort of images her proclamation brought up. Her blush was returning. "What is special about this Jasmine Tea?" she asked, desperate for a change in topic.

Iroh cleared his throat, still not quite meeting her eyes. The topic of tea, however, was apparently able to restore him some sense of dignity. "This particular shop sells a very extraordinary jasmine tea that is rolled up into small pearls using the leaves and buds of jasmine flowers. It's a strong tea, with a subtle sweetness to it."

He was looking far too comfortable after Asami had made such a fool of herself. Oh well, she thought, nothing to lose now. She rested her chin on her hand, giving him a coy look over the flickering lights on the table. "And what, exactly, does that say about me?"

Iroh smiled, his eyes darkening as he met her challenging gaze. "Well, Jasmine tea is a green tea, meaning you are strong of character, but you can hide it well. The jasmine flowers add a touch of sweetness, indicating that you are kind and caring, but not so much that it diminishes your strength."

"Is that so?"

"Yes," he affirmed, leaning closer now. "And the dragon pearls are a sign of great strength of character and steadfastness in the heart of danger." She was subconsciously moving closer to him too, and could almost feel the heat of his gaze. "And they are also a sign of great beauty."

"Great beauty?"

"Unparalleled beauty," he affirmed, now just centimeters from her lips. She saw his eyes flicker down to her mouth and she tilted her head slightly, giving silent permission for him to move just a bit closer and…

"Here are your teas!"

Asami sprung back as if bitten by a lion snake and knocked her knee on the underside of the table, swearing loudly. At the startled look from the waiter and her companion, she bit her lip and lowered her voice, apologizing. She had picked up some cruder language from the workers she learned from while tending to her own racecars, but she normally did a much better job at keeping her tone appropriately ladylike in public.

Iroh's eyes crinkled at the edges and his mouth twitched up into a smirk, causing her to relax. "Thank you," he directed at the waiter, helping him hand a cup and steaming pot across the table in front of Asami.

"Wait!" Asami cried, just as the waiter was about to turn and leave. "I have a quick question." He turned towards her and eyed her warily. "What can you tell me about ginseng tea?"

Across the table, Iroh raised an eyebrow at her as he poured himself a steaming cup of tea.

"Our ginseng is an herbal blend, with spices imported from the Fire Nation," the waiter began slowly. "It is a spicier variety of tea, and is very difficult to dull with sugar. Our blend adds just a pinch of dried fruit to add a sweeter flavor to it, but it is very subtle compared to the spices."

"What is it usually used for?" Asami pressed.

"Uhm, well," the waiter looked distinctly uncomfortable now, but continued. "The ginseng plant is often used for…well…particular enhancements and virility."

She frowned, unsure of the waiter's meaning. "What sorts of enhancements?"

The man blushed bright crimson before stuttering, "Particular male…body part enhancements, my lady."

Iroh choked violently on his tea, dropping the cup into his saucer with a loud clatter. He hastily grabbed his napkin to clean up the tea while the waiter made a hasty escape.

Across the table, Asami burst into laughter. She gasped for air, putting a hand on her chest and doubling over. She couldn't help it! The answer had been so unexpected, and the general's response so embarrassed. She hadn't seen him so flustered since she had found him dangling from an Equalist flag on Avatar Aang's statue, pleading with her to help him get down.

Iroh glared at her as she straightened up, still chuckling under her breath. Everything she had been taught in her twenty years of life said that she should apologize to the general right now, and to act appropriately for a lady of her rank.

"Let me try it," she said instead, reaching over to grab his still steaming cup of tea and pull it closer towards her. Her father's voice echoed in her head, telling her that a lady would never reach over and try another's food, but she quickly banished it.

"I'm not sure that will have quite the same effect on you." Iroh remarked dryly, cheeks still red with embarrassment.

"A shame, women can also use enhancements."

"I think you're perfect the way you are."

Asami took a deep sip of the tea, using the cup to hide her smile. The tea was delicious, light and subtly flavorful. The spices danced on her tongue, leaving a pleasant aftertaste.

She pushed the cup back towards him. "Since you have kindly told me what my choice of tea says about me, it's only fair that I return the favor."

"If you say one thing about bed sports-"

"It means-" she began, effectively cutting him off. The general gave her a look that could only be described as a mix of a pout and a glare and she briefly wondered if his grandfather ever did anything like that. Surely not. She cleared her throat and started again.

"It means that you are strong and bright, like the Fire Nation spices in the ginseng tea. You are determined and easy to follow, making you a good leader and fantastic general. You are stubborn and powerful, but you have a good heart underneath it all."

Iroh smiled. "I have always thought that jasmine and ginseng were two very well matched teas."

"Well matched?" Asami busied herself with taking a sip from her own cup, trying to quell the giddiness threatening to rise in her chest.

The general blushed and cleared his throat. "I mean that the teas are similar, have similar characteristics. My grandfather said they were his two favorite teas."

"Your grandfather seems like a wise man, I'm sure he would know." Asami could still taste the spiciness of the ginseng on her tongue, and briefly wondered what it would be like to taste the ginseng on his tongue.

"What I mean is, well…" Iroh swore and her eyes widened. He put down his tea and reached over the table, grabbing her hands in his and looking straight into her eyes. "I think you are incredible, Asami. You're smart and kind and determined, and you challenge me like nobody else can. When you were in the South Pole, I counted the days until you came back." He smiled wryly. "And then I counted the days until it would be appropriate to ask you to tea. And now it seems like all that time was gone in the blink of an eye, with the way that you make me feel eclipsing everything else."

"How do I make you feel?" She knew she felt like she was floating, and she wanted—needed—him to feel the same.

He took a breath. "Anxious like when I'm sitting on the deck of my ship, waiting for battle. Completely distracted and entranced whenever you're around. You're the most amazing woman I've ever met, and each moment I spend with you I never want to end."

Asami knew she could never top that proclamation. Instead, she abandoned all ladylike virtue her father had taught her and leaned across the table, sealing his lips with hers.

Moments passed and she knew of nothing else, not the murmur of customers in the shop or the slow flicker of light from the candles. Only the soft feeling of the general's lips moving against hers and the heat slowly rising in her chest. One of his hands reached up to her cheek, thumb brushing against her cheekbone. She shivered in response, reaching around the back of his neck to draw herself closer.

When they finally drew apart, both with color in their cheeks and eyes still locked on each other, she smiled. "You're right," she said. "Jasmine and ginseng tea go very well together."

**A/N: This chapter…I just…I don't know exactly where it came from. I had it planned out as something serious and it turned into a giant tea innuendo. This is what happens when my characters grow minds of their own. I hope you liked it.**

**The bit about the ginseng plant is true, and ginseng tea was Uncle Iroh's favorite tea in ATLA. Jasmine Pearl Tea/Dragon Pearl Jasmine is an amazingly delicious tea that you should try if you haven't already. The Leaping Shirshu is named after June and her trusty steed.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A\N: There's a longer note that I hope you will read at the bottom of this chapter, but I wanted to put the most important news first. Namely that, although I said this was only going to be a three-part series, I lied. I have currently expanded it to five parts, and may have the urge to write more beyond that. There is more information about my current writing status at the end of this chapter. **

**But first, please enjoy Chapter 3 of Sparks! Be warned, there be fluff ahead.**

* * *

_Later, she would say they got married in a beautiful ceremony at the royal palace in the Fire Nation. But the real story would always be more interesting._

Asami leaned over the side of the ship and took a deep breath. The air was cold in her nose and throat, and stung slightly in her lungs. The ocean spray stuck to her skin and made her hair limp and sticky, clinging to her face like a leech-eel.

She loved every minute of it.

When Iroh had first asked her to accompany him on peace keeping missions to ease the tensions of benders and non-benders outside of Republic City, he had warned her that life on a military ship was far different than the life in the city that she was used to. He had said that he would completely understand if she would prefer to stay behind.

Asami had stuck her nose up then and informed him that she was _not _helpless and could certainly take care of herself. She was coming with him and that was that.

He was right, of course. Living on a ship with soldiers from the United Forces was not particularly luxurious and sometimes crude. Occasionally she would still get seasick during exceptionally bad storms. The food was tolerable at best and it took nearly a month for the soldiers to stop staring at her and take her seriously.

But it hadn't taken long for Asami to start enjoying the freedom and excitement of traveling with the United Forces. She split her time between helping Iroh negotiate treaties and deals with fighting towns and tinkering around with the rudimentary technology on the ship, trying to set up a generator and some better machines. Between her technical prowess and hand to hand combat skills, the crew began to accept and enjoy her company. It had helped that she had bested one of the younger soldiers in a sparring match and sent him flying overboard.

And if that wasn't enough, she sealed her place in all their hearts when she got the generator working on the ship so they had an operational sewage and heating system.

Asami exhaled, watching the slight puff of steam disappear into the purple sky, lit with the last breaths of the sun. The moon was just beginning to rise over the horizon and she felt pinned between them, completely mesmerized watching the eternal dance of the two doomed lovers.

She had heard the story often as a child. Agni, the god of the sun, and Tui, the goddess of the moon, had spotted each other from a distance and fell instantly in love. They ran away together, plunging the world into darkness and angering the other gods. Gaia, the goddess of the Earth, and La, the god of the ocean, found them and punished them by forcing them to always circle each other-always in sight but never in reach. The movement of the ocean towards the moon and the reaching of all the plants and flowers on the earth towards the sun were the invisible chains that kept Agni and Tui from running away together again.

Except the sun and the moon were more clever than their bonds, and once every forty years either the sun or the moon would escape to meet for less than an hour before returning to their prisons. Their love for each other would eclipse everything else, drowning the world in darkness.

It was that meeting that was directing the course of the Fire Nation ship Asami was currently a passenger of. The Day of the Black Sun was returning again, and the Fire Nation wanted all of its soldiers and royalty back home for the event. The Fire Lady proposed the idea under the guise of a week long festival celebrating the love of the two gods and bringing family together, which Asami thought was quite clever. If the event went as planned then it would be a peaceful and rejuvenating time for soldiers and travelers to spend with family and friends. And if, even during a time of peace, there were attacks on the Fire Nation, then the trained soldiers would be home to protect their land.

However, that also meant that Asami was heading home with Iroh to meet _his _family. Which included his mother. Who was also the Fire Lady.

Asami had never been so nervous in her life.

Not when her father had turned out to be an Equalist, not when she had fought in a dirty war to save every bender in Republic city, not even when she sat in on her father's trial after the war. She had felt many things-despair, anger, anxiety among them-but not a complete feeling of nervousness.

But the raw sensation of energy that sizzled through her bones was completely foreign to her, and it kept her up on the deck of the ship when most of the crew had retired for some celebratory drinking and story telling.

"Hello, beautiful." The voice came from behind her, low and deep with a slight chuckle underneath the surface. She felt two strong arms surround her and rest on the railing in front of her, and her back suddenly became very warm as the firebender stood close behind her.

"Iroh!" Asami squirmed against him, but her retort lacked any heart. She smiled. "You are not acting like a proper General of the United Forces."

"That's because, right now, I'm not a general. We are off duty heading back to the Fire Islands." He snuggled closer, and she felt his lips against the top of her head. "And I am more than allowed to remind my soldiers exactly _who _you belong to."

"Getting possessive, are we?" Asami giggled, pressing back into the warm firebender. Normally she would bristle at such stereotypically male comments (she didn't belong to anybody but herself, thank you very much!), but she knew Iroh didn't really mean it as such. She knew it was difficult for him to put up with the raucous behavior and wolf whistling from his crew while needing to maintain a professional composure.

In fact, Iroh treated her with more respect than anyone else ever had, including her father. It was refreshing, since she didn't have that immediately commanding presence like Lin Bei Fong or obvious power like Korra. But she had an innate understanding of technology, loved developing new machines, and had a keen intellect that picked up on things the general would sometimes overlook. When she allowed herself to be a bit sappy, she would say that they completed each other, filling in the other's weaknesses and adding fire to their strengths.

The arms tightened around her, his hands meeting hers on the raining to completely engulf her in his embrace. "Only a little bit," he conceded. "What are you doing up here still? I thought you were going to come down for the festivities."

"I stayed to watch the sunset after I finished fixing the generator." She felt the indent of his nose in her hair as he nudged her. He knew she was only telling a half truth. "And I was...thinking about some things."

"What things?"

She sighed, knowing that he would weasel the truth out of her one way or another. "Visiting the fire nation. Meeting your family."

"Asami..." His voice was lost in the layers of her hair as he kissed the top of her head. "You shouldn't worry so much. You've already met my brother, and you know my parents will love you."

She refused to turn around and look at him. She wanted to talk to him about these thoughts and she knew that if she turned that they would end up doing something that was very much not talking.

"Your mother is the Fire Lady," she replied, tone leaving no room for argument. "There is no way that I'm not going to be nervous about this."

Iroh was undeterred. "I love you." His breath tickled her right ear and he placed a kiss right below it on her neck. Her skin burned with the contact. "They'll love you too." He kissed the other side of her neck now, and her knuckles turned white on the railing.

"Don't think you're going to distract me, General Iroh." She slipped in his formal name as a teasing gesture, which she normally did when she was giving him a hard time or some of the rare times she was cross with him. Usually the former.

"I'm not trying to distract you." His voice was muffled now, his lips busy teasing the nape of her neck. She shivered, and he pulled back. "I just want you to know how amazing you are. You fixed my ship and whipped my men into shape within a month. You solved the tensions in Mapaku by teaching the natives about weaponry in hand to hand combat and range fighting. Forget worrying about if my mom will like you, she's going to fire me and give you my job!"

Asami chuckled and leaned back, turning her head and allowing herself to snuggle into his chest. He lifted his hands off the railing and brought them fully around her, holding her tight against him. "I love you too," she murmured, half closing her eyes to listen to his heartbeat. "Thanks for making me feel better."

She felt him put his fingers under her chin and she allowed him to tilt her head up to meet his lips. Sweet and chaste, the kiss still sent a zing through her senses, making her wish they could do this more often. They hadn't really had much time alone together once she joined his crew, even though they had been travelling for almost a year. They had stolen moments in dark hallways and exchanged many significant looks during the busy hours of the day, but they were both incredibly busy and it was important for the general to minimize the amount of teasing possible from his crew. Not like they didn't tease him anyway, but she felt it was best not to tempt the situation.

The two years they spent prior in Republic City had been a little better, but they still had both been tied up with their duties. And he was always careful to respect her wishes and "honor."

_Forget honor. _The thought came unbidden as Iroh's hand reached behind her head to deepen the kiss. Relenting, Asami turned inside the circle of his arms to fully face the firebender. She felt a growing hunger start to gnaw right below her abdomen and pushed flush against Iroh, crushing their bodies together.

It turned out that pressing closer to the firebender did not quench the longing feeling for either of them. She felt rather than heard Iroh's growl, reverberating deep in his throat. The heat in her body grew to fever pitch, and she removed her arms from around his neck and placed them against his chest, pushing him away. What she saw was completely foreign to her. Iroh, normally completely composed at all times, was thoroughly disheveled and had a look in his eyes that could only be described as hunger. It made her blush from head to toe, and she felt the need to avert her gaze to a less charged target.

Iroh put his head on her shoulder, breathing heavily. She looked down at the crown of his head, where his normally combed straight hair was running in all different directions. She felt an odd sense of pride in knowing that it was her fault. She began to run her fingers through the tangles, partly to return them to normal and partly to distract herself from what she was feeling.

Unbridled heat. Tense longing. Desire. Need.

"Asami." From his place on his shoulder, Iroh croaked out her name like a lifeline. "Come downstairs with me. My room is more private."

His words terrified her and excited her at the same time. Though they had been together for a long time, they had always kept to a certain code in their relationship. He was royalty and she was raised as a lady of high standing. Even after everything that had happened, it was hard to shake that sort of upbringing.

"I believe it is frowned upon for an unmarried woman to share a gentleman's bedquarters," she replied shakily, trying to diffuse some of the lingering tension with a somewhat flippant response. When he brought his hand to her cheek and turned her towards him again, she shivered under his completely serious gaze.

"Then let's fix that."

Her stomach dropped. Was he implying what she thought he was? No, of course not. That would be...completely preposterous. She had to use all of her high society training to form a coherent response.

"Fix what, my dear general?"

"Marry me."

She felt her heartbeat jump to a frenzied pace. Marry him? She hadn't even met his family yet. They had just spent a year acting like clandestine lovers in the presence of his crew, even though their relationship wasn't exactly a secret. What if she wasn't accepted as fire nation royalty? Iroh was second in line for the throne, after all. What if his parents didn't like her? What if he got sick of her when they were off of his ship?

"Asami," he prompted, squeezing her shoulder and interrupting her racing thoughts. "Stop thinking all those bad thoughts."

"How do you know what I'm thinking?"

"You get a pinched look, like this." He puffed out his cheeks and squinted his eyes. She smacked him lightly on the shoulder.

"I do not!"

He gave her a teasing grin. "You do too. And I love it. I love every part of you." The serious look returned. "We've been together nearly three years, and have practically lived together for the last one. There's nobody else in the world who challenges me or completes me like you do. " He brought up a hand to caress her face, and she leaned into it without thought. "You have me thinking completely crazy things just by being around you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, wake up beside you every morning."

Asami had had similar thoughts, though she had forced herself not to dwell on them. If her father had taught her anything, it was that she needed to cherish what she had when she had it, and not lose yourself in dreams for the future. But as she lay in bed at night, she had found it harder and harder to sleep with thoughts of Iroh running through her head. She heard him swallow and realized he was still talking.

"You know I wouldn't say this without meaning it," he was saying. He dropped his arms to hold both her hands in his. "I don't want to spend another night going to bed without you, wishing I could hold you in my arms and tell you how incredibly lucky I am."

The straw that broke the camel's back. Asami abandoned all composure and threw her arms around him, kissing him as passionately as the moon must kiss the sun after forty years apart. "Yes, yes, you silly man! Of course I'll marry you!"

She felt his wide grin against her mouth as he put his arms around her waist, twirling her around the deck of the ship.

"Wait...wait," she said as they pulled apart. "What is your mother going to think about this? Will she be mad that she didn't meet me first?"

"My mother has been nagging me about settling down for years, she is much more likely to be ecstatic at the news."

"What are the engagement customs of the fire nation?" Asami was curious, and then the thought hit her. "Oh no! Are we going to have to have a big official wedding? I hate large parties!"

Iroh gave her a bemused look. "I thought you grew up around high society in Republic City."

"And that's precisely why I don't like it."

He chuckled and lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing knuckles callused from working long hours on the ship. "The Fire Sages will be expecting a formal celebration, but we can have a private ceremony with as few people as you like." His amber eyes met hers. "We can have it on the ship, if you like. Just the two of us."

It was Asami's turn to laugh. "We can't get married on the ship! There are no Fire Sages or Republic Officials or whatever else we would need to officially be married."

His arms circled her again. "We don't need any of that," he murmured. "We can exchange our vows here, just you and me. Let the Fire Sages make it legal later. I love you and you love me, and that's all that really matters."

Asami felt a rush of boldness sweep through her like a warm breeze. "Alright, then let's get married now. Right here."

If Iroh was taken aback by her sudden brashness, he didn't show it. Instead, he took both her hands in his and stood up to his full height. "I, Iroh of the Fire Nation, vow to love you unconditionally and fully." His voice was solemn, but she saw the smile in his eyes. "May we ride both the tides of good fortune and the troughs of difficulty together, until the day we die. This I swear."

Asami smiled and leaned forward, touching the tip of her nose to his. "I, Asami Sato of Republic City, vow to love you and support you until the day that I die."

There was nothing but the distant crashing of waves as she leaned in to kiss him, long and passionate. She felt like her heart was full to bursting, but for that moment nothing else in the world existed beside the two of them.

"So now that we're married..." He nuzzled her neck, leaving soft kisses on her collarbone. "Is it acceptable for you to accompany me to my quarters?"

Asami smiled, trailing one hand slowly down his chest and gently pulling on his hand with the other. Together, they walked towards the stairs descending below deck. "I believe that could be arranged."

* * *

**A\N: I'm not very good at oaths. Or impassioned speeches. But Asami wanted both, so I tried. This isn't as much of a complete hijacking as the last chapter, but I still feel like less of an author and more of a medium through which Asami and Iroh write their own story.**

**As I mentioned before, this was originally going to be the end of this fic. But I pretty much wrote Irosami into my OTP, so I can't help but continue it just a bit longer. There are two more planned chapters, with the possibility for more. They will continue in the format of stand alone one-shots that can be read by themselves, but will follow the events of the first three.**

**Additionally, I'm starting to write an Asami/Iroh chapter fic that I should start posting in about a month. I'm still working for the storyboarding and getting the plot together, so if you're interested in talking about story development with me I'd love some opinions! Just drop me a PM :)**

**Finally, some shameless self advertising. I'm writing another chapter fic in the Korra fandom called Winds of Change, and the first three chapters are posted. It's an as-close-to-cannon-as-possible-AU around the premise that Korra and Mako failed to defeat Amon at the arena, and only Pema and the baby escaped safely. If you liked Sparks, do give it a try! The first chapter is here: fanfiction dot net /s/8302998/1/Winds_of_Change.**

**As always, reviews and constructive criticism are both cherished.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Just a short note at the beginning here to give a huge THANK YOU to everybody who has reviewed/favorited/given me feedback on this story! Your comments help me keep progressing as a writer, both through Sparks and other stories. Do read the larger author's note at the end of the chapter for more information on Sparks-but first, enjoy Chapter 4!**

Asami wanted sea prunes.

It didn't matter that she was currently one thousand miles from the nearest trading post that brought in Water Tribe cuisine. It didn't matter that she was supposed to be restructuring a power grid for Ba Sing Se that would harness power from both technology and benders. And it certainly didn't matter that it was currently the middle of the night, when all civilized company was supposed to be in bed.

She wanted sea prunes, and by the spirits she wasn't going to be able to rest until she got them.

She sat up, slipping out from underneath the almost too warm covers that her husband also occupied. That was the thing about sharing a bed with a firebender, you were never lacking heat. In the winter months it was glorious, but in the summer months it could sometimes be unbearable.

Iroh let out a soft snore, turning over in his sleep and throwing his arm haphazardly across the bed into the indent that marked where Asami had been resting. She giggled softly, carefully standing up and exiting the room to not disturb the slumbering general. Once she closed the door with only a soft click, she let out a sigh.

She wasn't exactly sure why she had been so restless lately, but she didn't want to disturb Iroh from his much needed sleep. Ba Sing Se was a city deeply entrenched in tradition, and trying to bring them up to date with both the current technology for both benders and non-benders had been tiring. At least Asami was able to take charge of designing the new power grid, spending her time with people who spoke her language and were interested in what she had to say. Iroh had been stuck with stuffy old politicians, trying to explain how moving forward from a tiered, closed off society to a more integrated one would be beneficial to everybody involved.

So far, he had only been partly successful. That was the reason for their continued presence in Ba Sing Se-a trip that was only supposed to last two weeks.

It's not like she could complain, Asami thought to herself as she wandered down the halls of the rented townhouse. Ba Sing Se was a lively city, full of old history and culture, as well as a constantly celebratory younger generation. Even at this late hour, she could hear the cheers and whistles from one of the establishments down the street. If she were eighteen instead of twenty eight, she may have even joined them.

And it wasn't like she was keen to get back to sea. The awful autumn currents had made their ride to Ba Sing Se nearly unbearable. Asami shuddered at the memory as she slid open the patio door, stepping out onto a small roof deck. Going back on board to spend half of her time seasick over the side of the barge did not sound appealing either.

A sharp bout of laughter pierced the still night air and Asami smiled, leaning on the railing and listening to the sounds of celebration. After the Equalist scare, rebuilding efforts had dramatically lessened the tension of bending and non-bending citizens, and in most places they now lived in harmony. In times of peace such harmony generally lead to a large amount of dancing and drinking, but there had also been great strides in narrowing the class distinctions that had been so stark in the larger cities.

The sound of the patio door sliding open startled Asami out of her reverie. "'Sami," the sleepy voice of the general greeted her ear. "What are you doing out here?"

She turned, trying not to giggle at the disheveled firebender in front of her. His hair stuck up in all different directions, one eye still drooping dangerously low. He had only succeeded at getting one arm through the sleeve of his undershirt, the other side flapping carelessly in the wind. Asami thoroughly enjoyed seeing him like this-most likely because, more often than not, it was her fault. She kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"I just couldn't sleep. I didn't mean to wake you."

Iroh ran a hand through his hair and joined her against the railing, looking out over the quiet city. "You've been having trouble sleeping a lot recently," he mused, placing a hand on her back and running it softly up and down her spine. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," was the tired response. "I'm just thinking about the work we've been doing, what I'm going to do down at the plant tomorrow." She sighed, leaning over the railing into a gust of oncoming wind. Her hair was tied back, and she shivered as the cool breeze passed over the back of her neck.

"Is that it?" Iroh paused in his backrub, and Asami wiggled back into his hand to urge him to continue.

"Well," she was almost embarrassed to give the response, but he would wheedle it out of her anyway. He always did. "I kind of have a craving for sea prunes."

"Sea prunes?" Iroh gained a pinched look on his face, halfway between amusement and disgust. "But you hate sea prunes."

"I do not!"

"You do to." He touched the very tip of her nose with his finger, a teasing gesture that caused her to smile. "Don't you remember what happened at our wedding?"

Asami did remember. The two representatives from the Northern Water Tribe had brought in some traditionally stewed sea prunes as a contribution to the large array of food offered. Asami had barely been able to stomach one, hoping the smile she gave to the representatives was appropriately thankful and not too pained. Beside her Korra had snickered and, once the elder waterbenders had turned around, snatched the offending vegetables (fruits? Asami wasn't sure) off her plate and consumed them in record time.

Since then, Asami hadn't touched the things. In fact, she had avoided them like the plague, staying in the safe territory of noodles when consuming water tribe food.

That is, until tonight.

"Fine." Asami gave what she hoped was an impressive pout, but the snort of laughter from her husband didn't give her much confidence. "I don't know why, but I really want them."

Iroh chuckled, wrapping a long arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side. "You really are ridiculous, 'Sami." His personal, lazy nickname for her made her smile. "I don't know what's been up with you lately. After that bout of seasickness on the way to Ba Sing Se, you've been all over the place."

Asami leaned into his side, looking down at the dark rooftops of the city. He was right, she hadn't quite recovered from that disastrous ship ride over. She had still been feeling rather ill, had been annoyingly restless during the middle of the night, and now had this odd craving for sea prunes of all things...

She stilled, heart rate picking up to match her racing mind. Stomach sickness, restlessness, strange cravings. She absentmindedly placed a hand on her stomach. It couldn't be.

She frantically thought back over the last few months. They had been so busy with traveling and rebuilding that it was difficult to remember any details. But she would remember, especially when they were on the ship. She hated dealing with feminine problems on the ship. She would have remembered that.

Three months. It had been three months since she last bled.

Spirits, it couldn't be. Could it?

It wasn't that they hadn't been trying. Quite the opposite, really. After a scare about a year ago, they had come to the realization that being parents wouldn't be so bad. It would require some changes in their jobs-less traveling, more paperwork-but nothing too drastic. Asami had quite liked the idea, after the initial terrifying moments of realization.

And so they had gotten some necessary changes in order and planned on starting a family. But after six months, there were no new scares and an uprising in one of the Fire Nation cities required their attention. Since then they hadn't given it much effort.

Well, not _exactly_. Asami blushed. They had been giving it plenty of _that kind _of effort. They just hadn't been thinking about it. They still weren't, which was why it had taken her so long to sort out the obvious clues that were being shoved in her face.

Asami opened her mouth to tell the news to her husband and paused. Last time he had been so heartbroken when it had turned out to be a false alarm. They both had. He had spent two months asking her if she was alright and treating her like a porcelain doll, until she finally snapped and informed him that, if he asked her one more time, she was going to use him as a punching bag.

This time, she didn't want to tell him until she was absolutely certain. And for her to be absolutely certain, she needed one thing.

"Do you know how long it would take for Korra to get here?"

* * *

Korra, luckily, was not very far away.

"I can't believe you brought the avatar all this way for sea prunes," Iroh teased, shaking his head as his wife dashed forward to meet her friend. Asami ignored him, instead opening her arms and engulfing the smaller water tribe woman in a hug.

"Korra! Thank you so much for coming!"

Korra laughed, blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Good thing I was already passing through Ba Sing Se on my way to the Eastern Air Temple. Jinora is starting her own temple there, but you know how Tenzin gets. He figured she'd be more accepting of me checking up on her." She held up a cloth bag, wiggling her eyebrows above a lopsided grin. "And good thing I had packed extra sea prunes for the journey. Didn't know you were a fan."

Asami giggled, still slightly embarrassed. The sea prunes were much appreciated, but what she really needed from Korra was her healing abilities. If she weren't married to the Fire Prince, second in line to the throne after his brother, she would have gone to one of the doctors in the city. But gossip traveled fast in Ba Sing Se, so she wanted to keep her possible pregnancy a secret until she was sure. Then she would tell Iroh, and together they would figure out how and when to break the news.

That is, if she was really pregnant.

"The sea prunes were secondary," she confessed, lowering her voice. "I mostly have something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Something to talk about?" Korra twisted her lips into a frown, and turned towards her friend with a concerned gaze. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine!" Asami threw her hands up in the air, quelling Korra's concerns before the girl could get too worked up. Having the avatar as a friend had plenty of perks, but she was very protective. "It's more of a favor to ask."

"What sort of favor?"

Asami blew long bangs out of her eyes. _Oh well_, she thought. _Moment of truth_. "I was hoping that I could employ your...healing skills briefly."

Eyebrows rose. "Healing skills? Asami, are you _sure _everything is okay? Because if not, you know you can..."

"Korra." The older woman had long ago learned that cutting the avatar off was an effective way at stopping these conversations, as long as she had an explanation. "You know I'd tell you if something was wrong. It's nothing bad, I just think...I mean, don't you think it's odd that I all of a sudden got a huge craving for sea prunes?"

"It's not odd! Sea prunes are delicious, it's about time you grew to enjoy them!"

Asami fought the urge to pinch her nose in exasperation. Avatar? Yes. Spiritual link between the two worlds? Yes. But the quickest at catching subtleties she was not.

"I also have been feeling ill lately, especially in the morning..." She trailed off, hoping that the other girl would get the hint.

She didn't. "Then it's a good thing sea prunes are good for digestion!"

This time, Asami did let herself bury her face in her hand in frustration. "Korra," she said, voice flat. "I think I'm pregnant."

"Oh. OH!" Korra's eyes grew wide. "Why didn't you say so, let's go inside right away!"

* * *

Korra, to her credit, rushed through the necessary pleasantries of meeting with General Iroh. The girl was terrible at lying, but she had long ago learned to make up for that fact by becoming fantastic at avoiding topics. So when Iroh brought up sea prunes, she had a ready reply.

"Sea prunes! Of course!" She brought a hand to her face, looking for all the world completely surprised. It was only because Asami knew she was lying that she could notice her tell. Her right foot tapped impatiently, usually a sign that the younger girl was anxious. "I left them upstairs, but they should really be chilled," she continued. "Asami, let's go make sure they haven't gone bad."

Iroh chuckled, dismissing the two women and walking back towards the office to continue his work. Asami spared him a quick smile before following Korra up the stairs.

"Here," Korra said, sliding open a door and motioning for Asami to sit on the bed. "This should only take a second."

Asami sat down, heart hammering in her ribcage. What if she was wrong? What if she wasn't pregnant? She didn't want to have to go through that disappointment again.

Across from her, Korra pulled out a water pouch and uncorked it, swirling the water out in front of her. It started to glow. "Just relax and keep your breathing steady. This won't hurt, but it may be a little cold."

Asami shivered as she felt the cool water settle over her stomach. Korra's waterbending kept the moisture from spreading, but the wet front of her shirt stuck to her skin. Korra moved her hands in a slow circle, the glowing water pulsing with her movements. Asami felt a slight tickle in her abdomen as Korra worked over her.

Not a minute later, Korra pulled the water away and stepped back. Asami looked up at her expectantly.

Her heart nearly stopped when the girl smiled. "Congratulations! You're definitely pregnant!" When she didn't immediately answer, Korra faltered. "Wait...it is congratulations, right? This is a good thing?"

Asami breathed out a sigh of relief, her flood of feelings finally catching up to her. She stood up off the bed, heart expanding in her chest and convinced that she was floating. "Yes! Yes, it is a good thing. Korra, thank you so much!"

"Oh Asami, I'm so happy for you." Her tone was warm, and almost wistful. "I wish I could stay, but I have to meet Jinora in two days, and then I do need to get home to Mako..."

"Don't worry about it," Asami interrupted. "I'm just happy you were able to stop by. Once Iroh and I are done in Ba Sing Se, we're going to try and move back to Republic City. Hopefully I'll be able to see you soon!"

Korra smiled. "I would like that a lot. Really, just having the boys to entertain me has been driving me nuts!" The younger girl rolled her eyes. "Anyway, don't you have somebody who needs to hear the news?" She playfully shoved her friend out the door. "Go! And try not to give Iroh a heart attack!"

Asami giggled, sticking her tongue out before sliding out the door and down the hallway. It was time to find her husband.

* * *

Iroh had been pulled into an unexpected meeting, so Asami was forced to hold in her excitement until he returned. While he was gone, she busied herself with trying to plan out how she would tell him the news. Should she build up to it? Should she lead him into the announcement gently? Maybe she should just shout it out the minute he walks in the door, now that sounded like a good plan!

Besides the few minutes she took to say farewell to Korra, Asami spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the couch in their small living room. Her mind was racing with possibilities. Was she going to be a good mother? Was the child a girl or a boy? Would Republic City be a good place for them to start a family?

The slamming of the front door snapped her out of her thoughts. An exhausted expression on his face, Iroh carefully hung up his formal coat before toppling over onto the couch, head landing unceremoniously into his wife's lap.

"Long day?" Asami asked, lips curving into a smile.

"The longest," he affirmed, closing his eyes.

"What happened?" She ran slim fingers through his hair, still wondering how to tell him the news. She hadn't expected him return so upset!

"The council here can't agree on anything! When they finally start to see that moving away from such a class segregated city would be a good thing, they disagree on what to do with the ring structure. Some want to keep it and rebuild some of the lower rings, some want to get rid of it. And then they start fighting about zoning laws! Zoning laws, can you imagine anything more annoying? And then-" Iroh stopped mid sentence, inhaling deeply. "What is that smell?" he asked, eyes still closed.

"Um," Asami smiled sheepishly before finishing off the snack that she had been munching on. "Sea prune."

Iroh's eyes flickered open and he scrunched his nose. "They smell disgusting. I still don't understand how you like them now."

She shrugged. "Well it makes sense that I'm craving them, since I'm pregnant."

He froze and her heart stopped. The words had slipped out before she could stop them. In all of her planning, this was not how she intended to tell him!

"You're pregnant." He sat up, movements slow and precise. He turned to her, an unreadable expression in his amber eyes. "You're pregnant?" Asami nodded her head, heart racing too fast for her to form words.

And then, suddenly, "You're pregnant!" His mouth split into a wide grin, and he threw his arms around her to pull her close. She let out a giggle as he pressed his lips to her cheek, and then pulled up her shirt to kiss her stomach. "You're pregnant with my child!"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course it's your child you dolt. And it's probably a firebender, which is why I've been too hot to sleep lately."

He stroked the side of her stomach fondly. "And she will grow up to be a strong firebender too, stubborn and smart just like her mother."

Asami raised an eyebrow as her husband sat up, carefully pulling her shirt back down over her middle. "You know, already, that it's a she?"

A smirk crossed his face. "Of course. It's..." He paused, eyes darting to the side as he searched for the right word. "Masculine intuition."

She laughed. "I think you may have gotten it backwards, my dear."

Iroh shook his head adamantly. "No, I know these things. _We _know these things." He tapped the side of his head with a finger, and arranged his features to match the half stoic, half grouchy expressions the fire sages often wore. He pitched his voice higher to imitate the older sages. "She will be born under the summer solstice, a sign of prodigal firebending skills and prosperity..."

Asami doubled over, holding a hand in front of her mouth to stem the laughter. Who knew the General of the United Forces was so absurd when he wasn't on duty? Only her, and perhaps a handful of their closest friends.

And soon, their child.

When she stopped laughing, Asami moved over on the couch to lay her head on Iroh's shoulder. "Do you really think it will be a girl?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "But I also don't care. You know why?"

"Because you and I will love and cherish her-or him. We'll raise our child to be strong and independent, and will support them in whatever they chose to do. And no matter what," he paused to kiss his wife on the top of the head. "No matter what, we will do it together."

**A/N: Sea prunes are totally the pickles of the Avatar world.**

**I have a love/hate relationship with this chapter. That's part of the reason why this took so long. Sorry about the wait, and I hope you enjoyed it!**

**The next chapter is giving me even more grief, so it will likely be a few weeks before it's posted. But in the meantime, I've been having so much fun writing Sparks that I want to open it up for prompts! I can't promise any update schedule since I do have a job (and, occasionally, a life), but I will try to keep you Irosami fans happy! And, try as I might, I can't really stomach posting a "last chapter" for this fic quite yet.**

**So, lovely fans, if you have any ideas do leave me prompts in the review section or shoot me a message! **

**Also I just posted a new Bolin romance/humor fic, so if you're a Bolin fan you should go check it out :)**

**Hugs and kisses,**

**OrganizedxChaos**


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